Chapter 648: She Must Be Crazy to Have Fallen for Him (4)
A dim hexagonal lantern had been lit. It was hung on a lampstand near the head of the bed.
Under the dim light, He Changdi could clearly see Chu Lian’s sleeping face.
She was wearing a light pink nightgown embroidered with beautiful flowers, curled up in a fetal position with both of her hands in front of her chest. Her soft hair covered the entire pillow, while two stray locks of hair framed her face.
Her skin was porcelain-white, which should have been a beautiful colour on her. However, she appeared wan instead beneath that certain angle of light.
Her rosy lips were pursed slightly. There was a layer of moisture on her thick, curled eyelashes, which were still glistening.
He Changdi suddenly felt like someone had stuffed a large rock into his heart. It weighed down on him and made him feel terribly uncomfortable.
He reached out with one hand, wanting to touch Chu Lian’s delicate face, but her eyebrows twitched. Still in the throes of sleep, she shook her head twice and tears streamed down her face again.
Based on this situation, Chu Lian was obviously having a nightmare.
As if something stung the hand that He Sanlang extended, his hand twitched and drew back.
When he recalled Xiao Bojian saving and embracing her this morning, veins on his forehead throbbed in anger. He couldn’t control the jealousy and rage within his heart. He had seriously been fighting the urge to tear Xiao Bojian into pieces. After that, Chu Lian had smiled so sweetly and thanked Xiao Bojian, which was something even harder for him to endure.
He knew that the incident wasn’t Chu Lian’s fault and that she had to express her gratitude to Xiao Bojian. However, he still couldn’t suppress the rage within his heart.
By the time he gradually calmed down, he became even more fearful. He was frightened by his own extreme possessiveness towards Chu Lian.
He couldn’t even stand seeing her standing with another man, or even engaging in normal interactions…
She could only belong to him. No matter if she was smiling or crying, her face could only be directed at him alone!
When he thought of this, He Changdi covered his face of fatigue with a hand and rubbed it vigorously.
He Changdi stood beside Chu Lian’s bed for a long time. However, when Chu Lian awoke again, he was already gone.
After opening her eyes, Chu Lian looked around the tent instinctively. She still didn’t see the person who she had been thinking about for the entire day.
This time when Wenlan came in, Chu Lian couldn’t help but ask, “Has He Changdi come back yet?”
Wenlan shot a cautious look at Chu Lian and nodded. “Replying to Third Young Madam, Third Young Master returned at midnight yesterday. He was called out early this morning. The emperor wants to go hunting today, so most of the officials were summoned to the hunt.”
Chu Lian was usually a deep sleeper, but she hadn’t slept very well last night. If someone had slept beside her, she would have definitely sensed it. Moreover, when she woke up this morning, the bedding beside her was still very neat. Nothing had been moved, so it didn’t seem like someone had slept there.
Wenlan was attentive and noticed the look in Chu Lian’s eyes. She summoned up her courage to explain, “When this servant brought hot water over this morning, I saw… I saw Third Young Master sleeping on the chaise behind the screen…”
Chu Lian narrowed her eyes. The light in her normally clear, bright eyes instantly dimmed. When Wenlan saw that, her heart felt like it was being crushed and it ached painfully.
She regretted telling Third Young Madam about that matter.
Chu Lian didn’t ask any more questions after that. She rested against the bedframe for a while with dull eyes.
An hour later, she asked Wenqing to help her up for breakfast.
The breakfast was on the table in the middle of the tent, so Wenqing helped Chu Lian walk over to the table.
In the middle of the meal, Wenqing softly said, “Third Young Madam, this servant has something to report.”
Chu Lian regained her focus and cheered up.
She lifted her head and looked at Wenqing. “Tell me.”
“Third Young Madam, Imperial Princess Leyao’s leg was injured after she insisted on going hunting in the woods yesterday. The imperial physician said that even after she recuperates, her leg would probably be crippled.”
Chu Lian was slightly shocked after listening to Wenqing’s words. Imperial Princess Leyao’s leg was likely going to be crippled?
She looked at Wenqing again, and saw that she had lowered her head and stopped talking.
Chu Lian sighed helplessly as she understood the meaning behind Wenqing’s words.
She was probably helping He Changdi explain. An explanation for him returning late at night and the reason he wasn’t concerned about her injury.
However, it simply didn’t make sense. Imperial Princess Leyao had only injured her leg. Even if she had injured her head, it still didn’t have anything to do with He Changdi.
Why would he return late at night because of Imperial Princess Leyao?
It couldn’t possibly be from the emperor’s imperial order, could it? That is, unless the emperor had nothing better to do and wanted to make things difficult for him–he, a married young man who already had a legitimate wife.
It was true that Imperial Princess Leyao had feelings for him, but she was still young. Neither Imperial Concubine Wei nor the emperor would be so ‘desperate’ to choose a married man, who was nearly ten years older than Imperial Princess Leyao, for her.
After Chu Lian finished eating, she set down her chopsticks and stood up. “Alright, I understand. Wenqing, Wenlan, come with me for a walk.”
Wenqing didn’t think that Third Young Madam would react so calmly. She felt somewhat uneasy inside and didn’t dare to speak up again.
Chu Lian pulled aside the thick curtains of the tent that kept out the wind. Then, she looked towards the wide horizon of the clear blue sky.
